Long-acting injectable antipsychotics in early-onset schizophrenia improve treatment adherence, and this may lead to decreased rates of hospital admission, better rates of clinical remission and better psychosocial adjustment.

To compare clinical remission rates, number of hospital readmissions and personal and social functioning after two years between patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS;≤ 2 years), either in treatment with long-acting injectable risperidone (LAIR) or oral antipsychotics (OA).

This is a case-control study comparing patients with EOS who initiated LAIR between 2004–2008 (n = 26 cases) with a control group with EOS matched for age and sex (n = 26 controls) treated with OA. The PANSS was administered at baseline; after two years the PANSS, the Personal and Social Functioning Scale (PSP) and the Andreasen remission criteria were administered.

The PANSS score comparison at baseline showed no significant differences between LAIR and OA groups (79.9 vs. 88.5, respectively; CI 95%: −21.6, 4.3; p = 0.185). There were statistical significant differences after two years of treatment in the PANSS scores (47.7 vs. 66.2, respectively; CI 95%: −27.2, −9.8; p < 0.001), the PSP scores (72.4 vs. 59.7, respectively; CI 95%: 4.9, 20.7; p = 0.002) and the clinical remission rates (65.4% vs. 38.5, respectively; p = 0.05). Although no statistically significant, there were differences between hospital readmission rates (19,5% vs. 42.3%, respectively).

Despite case-control studies limitations, data suggest that treatment with LAIR instead of OA in EOS might improve clinical, remission and social functioning rates. This improved effectiveness might be due to a greater treatment adherence achieved with LAIR.